Dame Barbara Hepworth, Dame Elisabeth Frink, Kim Lim, Phyllida Barlow, Cathie Pilkington and Rana Begum – some of the most globally well-known British artists are women sculptors.

Conversely, the profession and practice of sculpture was seen by many throughout the 20th century (and before) to be very much a man’s world. Often using heavy and hard materials, sculpture was not typically viewed as suitable for women artists.

Now, a brand new, free to download (via iTunes) podcast series explores the lives and careers of these six women who worked (and are still working) against these preconceptions, forging successful careers and contributing in ground-breaking ways to the histories of sculpture and art.

Each 45-minute episode takes a woman sculptor as its subject, exploring the art works, networks, connections and relationships of these artists. Every programme is recorded in places that are significant for these women – their studios, as well as galleries and public places where their work is on display – and includes new interviews with curators, friends, family and the artists themselves, creating intimate soundscapes of their private and public worlds.

Sculpting Lives is written and presented by Jo Baring (Director of the Ingram Collection of Modern British & Contemporary Art) and Sarah Turner (Deputy Director for Research at the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art in London). The pair bring their shared expertise and infectious enthusiasm for sculpture to this series, with each episode taking the form of an informal and lively conversation between Jo, Sarah and their interviewees.